The US government’s controversial travel ban
The US government’s controversial travel ban came into effect earlier this month, preventing citizens of 12 countries from entering the US. The ban, which affects countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Sudan among others, resembles the travel restrictions introduced by Donald Trump during his first term as president which targeted Muslim majority countries. These new restrictions are likely to be expanded to include another 36 countries.
With the US hosting the men’s FIFA world cup and the summer Olympics within the next 3 years, questions have been raised about how it could successfully host these large scale international sporting events with these bans in place. The Trump administration has already said concessions will be made for athletes, but how will this be enforced and how will it affect sporting fans?
Dr. Keith Rathbone is senior lecturer of Modern European history and Sports History at Macquarie University. RTRFM’s Will Yagmich spoke with Dr. Rathbone about the likely impact of these new travel bans.
